S1 Epilogue RE:volt! Chapter 53: The Devil You don't Know.

In the manor of Duke Cu’lainn, Sebastian bowed to his master who sat across from him behind his fancy desk with a stern look. 

“Sebastian.” Argos began, his piercing blue eyes narrowing as he stared at the butler above folded hands.

“Yes sir.”

“It is… very uncharacteristic of you to fail me.” The duke said. “Care to explain how it is that you’ve returned to me without my grandson?”

“Certainly sir.” Sebastian said, the mephistos bowing. “I attacked baron Constatine’s estate with my puppets as planned. Set blaze to his marble storages and left his fields in a state of disrepair. However, during the ensuing chaos, your grandson managed to break his collar, escaping the grounds as I was preoccupied with the knights of the estate and the baron’s magical constructs.”

The duke raised his brow. 

“You mean to tell me, that the knights of some lowly baron managed to give you the run around?”

“Hard to believe sir, but even I am not omnipotent and omniscient.” The butler said, his red eyes flickering as he looked upon his master who rubbed his hand over his heart. “There is a slumbering dragon within baron Constatine’s lands sir. I would advise caution for any future operations involving his estate.”

Duke Argos Cu’lainn frowned, the silver-haired man’s jaw clenching and unclenching as he stared at the cup of tea sitting on his desk above a report.

“So the baron possesses a hidden trump card?” The duke said with Sebastian remaining silent.

As part of the pact Sebastian had made with the duke’s predecessor a hundred years prior, the contract stipulated that the mephisto could never speak a lie to its master. However, that didn’t mean there weren’t loopholes and work arounds. 

“As expected of a magician I suppose.” The Duke continued, making his own conjecture as he stood up shakely and spun to eye the map that hung on his mantle. “One can never be too careful with practitioners of the mystic arts. This will make for an interesting territorial war at least.” 

“Isn’t that the truth sir.” Sebastian said, smiling to himself. “If it is any consolation, from what I’ve seen, your grandson is a very competent fighter. What puppets that attempted to take him were all slain.”

Duke Cu’lainn sighed before he reached over and took a sip of tea from his porcelain cup adorned with floral patterns. 

“It does fill me with pride that even the tainted spawn of my bloodline is gifted in combat. But that is to be expected.” Argos replied, the man scowling as coughed and stared at the map littered with dots denoting different factions of the Imperium. “Still, prowess in combat will not save the day if he is to inherit my estate. As loath as I am to hand the reins to a mudblood, better the Cu’lainn estate fall under the hand of a man with at least one redeeming trait than none.”

Duke Cu’lainn began to violently cough, the man visibly weakening as he stumbled, reaching out to grab at his table to stabilize himself and slipping. Fortunately, his butler was there, the mephisto catching the man before he could fall. 

“Tell me true Sebastian… How much time do I have left?” The duke asked, eyeing the droplets of blood in his hand that the demon wiped away using a handkerchief.

“Roughly ten good years left, sir.” Sebastian said, dabbing the man’s mouth and easing the duke back into his large chair.

“So I’d be about fifty when I expire… at least older than my own old man.” The duke said, sighing to himself, his fingers running through his thinning silver hair. “For what it’s worth Sebastian, I do consider you my friend. Perhaps my only friend in this entire world.”

“That is too kind sir. I too have come to enjoy our time together.”

The duke paused, his eyes narrowing as he sat in silence for a moment contemplating something unseen before he opened his mouth again. 

“Will it hurt?”

Sebastian smiled, a question he’d heard many a time over.

“Not at all sir. I’ll make sure your last breath is taken as you slumber.”

“Ah… that is good.” The duke said, entering into a coughing fit once more. “Deploy your agents, I want my grandson found.”

‘Of course sir.” Sebastian said, taking away the empty tea cup. “Is that all?”

“Yes, you are dismissed.” The duke said before Sebastian took his leave.

****

Exiting the office, Sebastian walked through the brightly lit spacious hall of the Cu’lainn manor, the floor built with fine brown wood overlaid with a thick crimson carpet inlaid with gold strands. On his journey the butler passed by a multitude of statues and paintings, placing his feet in front of one another as he moved toward a massive window pane that depicted an image of a dragon being slain by a spearman.

He reached up, undoing the golden locks and opening the window, allowing a gust of fresh air to taint the innards of the manor that was devoid of life. 

Sebastian reached into his coat pocket, removing strands of hair the demon had taken from Ark and sprinkled them over the edge of the window and into the wilting garden below. 

Satisfied that his contract orders were complete, Sebastian took a breath of the air, allowing the wind to seep into his lungs as he contemplated the future. The Duke had ordered him to bring Ark to him, and in a way he had, but, the mephisto had other plans. Plans that didn’t include bringing Ark immediately into wealth and power.

No, he’d get his credit’s worth out of Ark first. After all, what kind of demon would he be if he didn’t at least have a little fun for himself?